I am a New
Zealander by birth. I met my Canadian born husband Cliff in Syndey, Australia
in 1963 and came to Canada later that year. During the first 5 years here I
saw a lot of the rest of the world,
travelling with Cliff to many countries where he was putting on Trade Fairs
for the Canadian Government Exhibition Commission. In 1968 when he finally
stopped globe trotting and settled down to a desk job in Ottawa we
moved to this idyllic spot in the beautiful Gatineau Hills, Quebec, just 20
minutes North of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada's capital city. I thought it the
perfect place to raise Irish Wolfhounds, and it has proved to be all I hoped
for. The hounds thrive in the winter. Watching them romp through the snow is
still one of my greatest pleasures. Though the summers can get quite hot here,
the heavily forested landscape provides plenty of cooling shade.
I got my first hound in 1970, chose my kennel name AOTEAROA, (the Maori
name for New Zealand) and the Maori names I give my dogs as a tribute to my
homeland. Now 33 years later I am still devoted to these magnificent
hounds, and an enjoying the company of the 10th generation of home bred
AOTEAROA Irish Wolfhounds whose pedigrees include many International Champions
and Specialty winners. Some AOTEAROA hounds have already become the
foundation for other successful Canadian Kennels, and I find it very
rewarding to see newer breeders also starting to produce fine hounds descended
from my own. I hope I will contine to live with, breed and show these
wonderful hounds for many years yet. I cannot imagine life without them.
Pictured with me here in the early 1980's are Can.Ch. Ballycastle
Aotearoa Rata, and Can. Ch. Ballycastle Aotearoa Maui, my third and 4th Irish
Wolfhounds. They are littermates, bred by Irwin Levy of Montreal, sired
by Can.Ch. Imperial Baron, (#1 IW in Canada 1975 & 1976) out of Can. Ch.
Ballycastle Kate of Elmbrae, one of the many fine Elmbrae hounds bred by
Lucetta Kelly of Nova Scotia in the 1970's and 1980's and part of the
foundation of many Canadian Irish Wolfhound kennels.
I am
quite new to the world of computers, so I am very grateful to Nicholas MacLeod
for creating this lovely website for me
travelling with Cliff to many countries where he was putting on Trade Fairs
for the Canadian Government Exhibition Commission. In 1968 when he finally
stopped globe trotting and settled down to a desk job in Ottawa we
moved to this idyllic spot in the beautiful Gatineau Hills, Quebec, just 20
minutes North of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada's capital city. I thought it the
perfect place to raise Irish Wolfhounds, and it has proved to be all I hoped
for. The hounds thrive in the winter. Watching them romp through the snow is
still one of my greatest pleasures. Though the summers can get quite hot here,
the heavily forested landscape provides plenty of cooling shade.
